Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft's options in the Nittany Lions' coaching search are dwindling.
As day 52 of Penn State’s search for a new football coach goes on, Penn State finds itself at a crossroads.
So far, Pat Kraft and the Nittany Lions have been turned down by several candidates.
Mike Elko, Curt Cignetti, Matt Rhule, and several others have all turned down the opportunity to be Penn State’s Head Coach in favor of more money.
A “National Search” Turns into National Humiliation for Penn State
Now, the entire Pennsylvania State University finds itself in the midst of a massive conundrum.
The “national search” that Pat Kraft described has turned out to be a miserable failure.
The season has ended, National Signing Day has passed, and there is still no Head Coach in Happy Valley.
It makes you wonder what Pat Kraft was doing with that head start he got by firing James Franklin halfway through the season.
As the embarrassment of a coaching search goes on, Pat Kraft has firmly lodged himself in the angry sights of Penn State fans, and now several donors and higher ups.
The math on the future of Penn State Football is pretty simple. It can go one of two ways.
Scenario 1: Penn State’s Nuclear Option – Fire Pat Kraft, Hire Terry Smith
This scenario is growing more and more likely by the day.
The problem with that is, it would require Pat Kraft to swallow a lot of his pride and walk back a lot of what he said in his post-Franklin firing press conference.
Also, if Terry Smith were to be promoted to permanent Head Coach, you would think it would have already happened. It wouldn’t make any sense to wait this long.
Waiting over a month to promote Smith, if that’s the path Kraft and Penn State take, would have squandered precious time to keep the 2026 recruiting class intact. Instead, the Nittany Lions signed only two commits, as Franklin and Virginia Tech raided Penn State’s class, rising all the way to No. 23 in the national rankings this cycle.
Donor Pressure: Top-Level Push for Terry Smith to be Promoted
After how this entire situation has played out, there suddenly does seem to be some deep murmurs of Penn State admins getting involved in this.
If that happens, watch out. I could see Pat Kraft being fired by President Neeli Bendapudi.
Here’s why: The longer this coaching search goes on, the more embarrassing it becomes. Penn State and it’s cash cow football program are facing humiliation on a national level. As fan outrage continues to pour in, Penn State admins may be forced to fire athletic director Kraft, and give Terry Smith the reins to the football program.
Scenario 2: Pat Kraft Gets a Candidate to Sign
In this scenario, Pat Kraft continues to search under every rock for a coach.
Maybe Kraft hires Brian Daboll.
Duke head coach Manny Diaz could be in the running.
Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Halfley could get a look.
Maybe Kraft takes a shot at Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Regardless, the outlook is bleak.
The Desperation Hire – Plan Z Candidates
This scenario creates a multitude of problems.
To begin with, hiring plan Z is a bad look. Hiring a Brian Daboll candidate is just not a good look.
You don’t fire James Franklin to hire Brian Daboll, who is only available because the Giants fired him midway through this season after posting a 20-40-1 record, while serious concerns about his leadership and temperament were raised in New York.
This would indicate a crazy amount of desperation.
On top of that, donors, lettermen, current staffers, and players would also be outraged.
The same lettermen and donors who pushed so hard for Terry Smith would be reluctant at best to buy into a new candidate.
The Final Conundrum: A Lose-Lose Outlook on December 3rd
Lastly, the exodus from Penn State would be unprecedented.
Terry Smith probably leaves for Virginia Tech, Chaz Coleman likely transfers, Koby Howard probably hits the portal, and several other talented players would leave.
It would be an exodus of mass proportions.
It seems like a lose-lose.
As things stand right now on December 3rd, the outlook for Penn State Football is dark.
But, there is always the hope that Terry Smith or a “plan Z” hire from Kraft could be lighting in a bottle.
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Ian Purdy covers Penn State Football Recruiting for NittanyCentral.
Purdy was born and raised in central Ohio and served for four years writing for his high school's newsletter. Currently studying Biblical Studies at Lancaster Bible College in Pennsylvania, Ian has been a lifelong Nittany Lion fan.
- Pat Kraft vs. Penn State: How the Internal Struggle Could Play Out amid Coaching Search Failure - December 3, 2025
- Recruiting Rescue: 4-Star QB Peyton Falzone FLIPS to Penn State, Ends Historic Crisis - December 3, 2025
- HISTORIC CRISIS: Penn State Faces National Signing Day with Potentially ZERO Recruits - December 2, 2025
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